Trim elements with a deformable outer surface are known. Such trim elements for example make it possible to modify the position of a support surface, such as an armrest, protruding from the outer surface, or to modify the appearance of the outer surface based on specific uses of the vehicle.
Such a modification of the shape of the outer surface may be obtained by arranging inflatable elements below the outer surface and commanding the inflation of these elements to create a raised zone across from an inflated element.
Such a pneumatic system is, however, not satisfactory for several reasons.
It is, in fact, difficult to obtain the desired rigidity of the outer surface across from an inflated element, which makes the system relatively unsuitable for forming a support surface. Furthermore, the feel of the outer surface is not satisfactory, since it is not uniform over the entire outer surface, the latter being rigid in the non-inflated zones and less rigid across from an inflated element.